Bognor’s anonymous street artist featured on Jamie T album cover

Known simply as ‘TAMP’ (@tamp.two on Instagram), the incognito artist has spent the last few years turning the concrete pillars beneath a Bognor Regis flyover into giant everyday objects, from cigarettes and crayons to packets of love hearts and polos.

Now, one of his most recognisable creations - a cigarette appearing to hold up the bridge - features on the cover of Jamie T’s forthcoming album, Ghosts (100 Days of Morning), due for release on October 9.

The artwork also features in promotional material for the album, with Jamie T filming beneath the flyover.

For TAMP, the venture into street art is relatively recent.

“I’ve always been passionate about street art - I’ve been a massive fan for 30 years, something like that,” he said.

“I used to do graffiti and tag stuff when I was younger, and then I stopped doing it for quite a while.”

It was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that pushed him to pick up the paint again.

“I just thought to myself: ‘I’m going to do a bit of graffiti’,” TAMP explained.

“I went under the bridge, under the viaduct, and wrote ‘peace’ in the Ukraine colours.”

While there, he noticed what he described as a “forest of pillars” supporting the bridge - and an idea began to take shape.

His first major experiment was turning one of the pillars into a giant Duracell battery.

“I just sort of realised: ‘Oh wow, I’m not actually that bad at doing this’. So it sort of evolved from there.”

TAMP’s work is perhaps best described as conceptual street art, using familiar objects to create the illusion that they are supporting the enormous structure above.

“What I’m doing is planting an idea in your head that a cigarette is holding that bridge up, or that a packet of love hearts is holding that bridge up,” he explained.

“And it’s ridiculous, because they could never do that, so there’s a fun factor as well.”

The cigarette artwork was first painted around three or four years ago. TAMP remembers being particularly surprised by the result the following morning.

“It was just wicked when I went back the next day, because I did it in the night and didn’t have a torch or anything,” he said.

“In the morning, they looked just like cigarettes.”

The installation eventually caught the eye of Jamie T, a singer, songwriter, rapper and musician who blends alternative rock, indie rock, hip-hop and punk.

TAMP met Jamie a couple of years ago, when they were introduced by a mutual friend. Over a beer, the musician asked to see some of TAMP’s work and was impressed by the viaduct pillars.

Just a few days later, Jamie called.

Despite originally showing the cigarette artwork to another musician, Jamie decided he wanted it for his own album.

At the time, he had not even recorded the album, but already had TAMP’s work in mind.

“It feels absolutely amazing,” the street artist said.

“I was about when Jamie T’s first album came out - when he first came onto the music scene, if you like. He absolutely smashed the hell out of it.

“To actually meet him was cool. He’s so down to earth. He’s such a lovely person, and he stuck to his word and used the cigarette.”

TAMP’s growing profile has inevitably created comparisons to other anonymous street artists, with some calling him ‘Bognor’s Banksy’. He is, however, keen to draw a distinction.

“I’m not trying to be like Banksy, because my style is completely different to his,” he said. “But I’m anonymous for obvious reasons.”

TAMP acknowledged the long-running debate around illegal street art, but believes there is value in the freedom it gives artists.

“Bognor gets a bad rap a lot of the time, but I’m trying to do something positive,” he said.

“Even though it’s illegal, what I do, it’s still about being positive.”

He also admitted his relationship with his home town has changed.

“To be honest with you, I spent most of my life hating and never mentioning I was from Bognor. I was embarrassed, I suppose. But these days, I’m not at all. I’m actually quite proud I’m from here.”

That desire to use art positively has taken TAMP beyond the bridge, including on a trip to Tanzania with James Holdsworth, COO of Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, where they taught children about street art and creative expression.

James believes the experience demonstrated the wider influence of TAMP’s work.

“When TAMP came out to Tanzania, we were teaching children how to express themselves, which helps them emotionally and mentally,” he said.

“It’s a lot bigger than a piece of graffiti - I think there’s an awful lot of positivity in it.”

TAMP has also been encouraged by other artists, including Portsmouth street artist My Dog Sighs, to take on further projects and get involved in street art festivals.

Both the trip to Tanzania and this sense of encouragement have changed TAMP’s outlook.

“Before, it was really just for me I suppose. I liked the fact that I’d do these pillars and then other people would enjoy them,” he said.

“But now, I don’t know what it’s going to become. I’m going to try to make it, if you like.”

As an anonymous artist who started by painting ‘peace’ beneath a Bognor flyover, having his work featured on a Jamie T album cover marks a significant development in his creative pursuit.

For TAMP, the collaboration comes as he continues to develop his work beyond the viaduct.